Registering-gage for printing-presses.



J. 0. HANKINS. REGISTERING GAGE r011 PRINTING PRESSEIS. APPLICATIONFILED MAY 19, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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luzls Paw-518cm, WAsNINzTON, uc Patented June 15,1909.

J. 0. HANKINS. REGISTERING GAGE FOR PRINTING PRESSBS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1908. 924,985, Patented June 15, 1909.

WMSQ:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O. HANKINS, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

,REGISTERING-GAGE FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN O. HANKINs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Registering- Gagesfor Printing-Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled to the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention consists in the novel fea tures hereinafter describedreference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate oneform in which I have contemplated embodying my invention and saidinvention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a very simple and efiicientdevice for securing the absolute registration of sheets fed to platen orcircular printing presses, or for any other similar purpose where theaccurate placing of a sheet upon a surface is to be accomplished.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation andtop plan view of a device embodying my invention, the registering armbeing shown in its outermost position. Fig. 2 represents also sideelevation and top views of the device, the

arm being shown in its retracted position.

Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive are detail views of parts of the device detached.Fig. 6 shows a side elevation and plan of an adjustable clamp which Ipreferably employ when the device is used with a platen press. Fig. 7shows a side elevation and plan of the adjustable paper engaging devicecarried by the registering arm. Fig. Sis a perspective view of a platenfor a job printing press, showing my improved device applied thereto.

Referring to the drawings L represents the base plate of the device,upon which is mounted the L-shaped registering arm O, the said arm beingpivoted upon the stud K.

B represents a plate of spring metal having an offset portion 1) at oneend, which is rigidly secured to the registering arm C, so as to form acontinuation thereof, and E represents an adjusting screw passingthrough the plate B and into the arm C beneath it, to adjust the outerend of plate B, toward or from the surface on which the paper to beregistered, is fed. The outer end of plate Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed May 19, 1908.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Serial No. 433,720.

B carries upon its under side a circular paper engaging button or headA, which is secured to the plate by a screw D engaging a threadedaperture a disposed eccentrically therein, so that by loosening thescrew and turning the button and then tightening the screw, an extremelyfine adjustment of the device can be effected.

The laterally extending arm O of the registering arm C is provided withmeans (as the aperture 0) for the attachment of one end of a spring J,the other end of which is attached to a fixed. stud on the base plate L,and serves to draw the arm C normally against a fixed stop I, secured tothe registering arm C and its extension B outward as shown in Fig. 1.The movement of the registering arm to move the paper or sheet, is,therefore, effected by the spring and I find that this is desirable asit gives the arm a very even movement even when the press is operated athigh speed, and avoids jarring the sheet, which might cause it to bepushed further than intended. In order to further insure against theoverfeeding of the paper or sheet by the registering arm, I provide alight tension spring, or finger G, which is secured. at one end to thebase plate L, and has its other end disposed so that it will normallyrest upon the feeding surface or the sheet of paper thereon. This springor finger has portions between its ends bent upwardly as shown at g topass over a wedge shaped proj ection F carried by the arm C, and whenthe registering arm is retracted, as hereinafter explained, and as shownin Fig. 2, the wedge shaped projection F will pass beneath the spring Gand raise it above the feeding surface.

In Fig. 8 I have shown my improved device applied to a platen press,such as is ordinarily termed a job press. In this figure T representsthe platen of usual construction provided with the usual covering t ofpaper or cardboard and bails t t for holding the same in position. R Rrepresent bottom guides for the paper or other sheets, which may be ofany ,usual or preferred construction. The base plate 'of my improvedregistering device is preferably secured to the platen or feedingsurface by means of adhesive material such as glue, paste or cement, butit may be secured by other means, if desired. U represents the fingerbar to which the fingers V, V are attached in the usual or preferredmanner, the finger bar being slotted to permit the lateral adjustment ofthe fingers. The linger bar and platen are connected by a hingeconnection so as to provide for the relative movement of the one withrespect to the other usual in this class ol presses. H represents alaterally adjustable plate secured to the finger bar by a bolt 1 andnut, so as to be adjusted to a position on line with the base plate L,and said plate M is provided with a plurality of superimposed clampingplates l\", N (two being shown, see Fig. 6) .held in position by screwsQ passing therethrough and engaging threaded apertures in plate lvl Srepresents a flexible connection, which may be a cord or wire, havingone end connected to the arm C of re istering arm U and its other endclamped between the plates N, or between the lower plate N and plate M.The arm C is preferably pro vided with a plurality of loops H, (three being shown), said loops being conveniently formed in one piece, as from apiece of wire bent in the form shown, and ailording three points ofattachment for the connection S, at different distances from the pivotalaxis of the registering arm. The adjustment of the connection S, intoone or other of said loops H affords a means for varying the throw oithe registering arm, by varying the distance that the arm 0 will bewithdrawn from the stop I, and a further adjustment is a'll'orded byshifting the other end of the connection S from one to another of theclamping plates N.

When the base plate L has been secured to the covering of the platen asbefore described the plate B can be adjusted by means of screw E so thatthe paper engaging head A will just sweep the surface of the platencovering, without undue friction but close enough to prevent the paperor sheets fed from getting under said head. The proper throw of the armis then secured by adjusting the connection S in the required loop H,and in proper relation to the clamping plates N, and should theadjustments so obtained not be accurate enough the head A can beadjusted about its securing screw to move the paper into exactly thedesired position. I prefer to employ a flexible connection S instead ofa stiff metal link, as it obviates all vibration, and there is no dangerof the sheet being arred out of position. This result is further broughtabout by the use of the retaining finger G. In feeding the sheet isplaced in its approximate position with the bottom edge engaging theguides R, R and its lateral edge beneath the retaining finger G. As theress closes, the relative movement of the -nger bar and platen permitsthe spring J to draw arm C against the stop I and thereby move theregistering arm 0 outward, as shown in Fig. 1. As the arm 0 movesoutward the wedge F is withdrawn from beneath the engaged portion of theretaining finger Gr, allowing the finger to rest lightly on the sheetand act as a tension thereon to prevent over movement. The head Aengages the edge of the paper or sheet or moves it laterally intoexactly the desired printing position.

YVhile I have shown my improved device applied to a job or platen press,I desire it to be understood that it can be used with any other form ofpress, by providing suitable means for imparting a reciprocatingmovement to the connection S, or otherwise oscillating the registeringarm and that it can also be used in connection with any other devicesfor feeding or operating upon sheets, where its use is desirable orconvenient.

That l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A registeringdevice for printing presses, comprising among its members, a movableregistering arm, and means for sup )orting it in position to move in aplane parallel to that of the tynipan, a part carried by said arm,movable toward and from the tympan, and provided with a sheet engagingdevice, and an adjusting device engaging said movable part, foradjusting it toward or from the tympan, substantially as described.

2. A registering device for printing presses comprising among itsmembers, a base plate,

a registering arm pivotally connected thereto u and movable in a planeparallel with that of the base plate, a spring arm secured to saidregistering arm, and provided with a sheet engaging part, said springarm being movable toward and from the plane of the tympan, and anadjusting device for engaging said registering arm and. said spring armfor adjusting said spring arm and said sheet engaging device toward andfrom the plane of the tympan, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the base plate, of a registering arm pivotallymounted thereon, an adjustable part carried by said arm, a cylindricalsheet engaging device mounted eccentrically on said adjustable part, andadj ustable revolubly in respect thereto, and means for actuating saidregistering arm, substantially as described. l

4. The combination with the base plate, of a registering arm pivotallymounted thereon movable in a direction parallel with the plane of thebase plate, and provided with a sheet engaging portion, a tension devicefor engaging the sheets to be registered and a device operated by saidregistering arm for moving said tension device in a directionperpendicular to and away from the plane of the base plate, to throw itout of operative position when the registering arm is retracted andmeans for actuating said registering arin, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the base plate, of a registering arm pivotallymounted. thereon, and provided with a sheet engaging portion, a tensiondevice, for engaging the sheets to be registered, a wedge shapedprojection carried by the registering arm, for engaging and elevatingsaid tension device when the registering device is retracted and meansfor actuating the registering arm, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a base plate, of a registering arm pivotallymounted thereon, a spring plate secured to said arm, a cylindrical sheetengaging head, mounted eccentrically and adjustably on said plate, meansfor adjusting said spring plate and head toward and from the plane ofthe base plate, a stop for limiting the movement of said arm in adirection to move the sheets, a spring normally holding said arm inengagement with said stop, a tension spring for engaging the sheets tobe registered, a wedge shaped projection carried by said registering armfor elevating said tension spring out of operative position when theregistering arm is retracted against the pressure of said spring, andactuating means for retracting said registering arm, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination with the base plate, of a registering arm pivotallymounted thereon, a revolubly adjustable eccentric sheet engaging headcarried by said arm, a stop for said arm, a spring normally holding saidarm in engagement with said stop, an actuating part, and a flexibleconnection connected to said registering arm and to said actuating part,said flexible connection being adjustable at one end longitudinally ofitself, with respect to the actuating part, and being adjustable at theother end toward and from the pivotal axis of said registering arm,substantially as described.

8. A registering device for printing presses, comprising among itsmembers, a movable registering arm, actuating means therefor, anadjustable sheet engaging part pivotally mounted on said registeringarm, and having a curved edge eccentric to said point of pivoting, andmeans for securing said part in its adjusted positions, substantially asdescribed.

9. A registering device for printing presses, comprising among itsmembers, a movable registering arm, means for supporting said arm sothat it can move in a plane parallel to the plane of the tympan, a partsecured to said registering arm, and movable with respect thereto towardand from the plane of the tympan, a sheet engaging device having acurved sheet engaging edge, pivotally mounted eccentrically to saidcurved edge, upon said part, means for securing said sheet engagingdevice rigidly in adjusted position, and means for adjusting saidmovable part, and the sheet engaging device toward and from the plane ofthe tympan, substantially as described.

10. A registering device for printing presses comprising among itsmembers a base plate, a pivoted registering arm, movable in a planeparallel to that of the base plate, a spring arm rigidly connected atone end to said registering arm and movable at the other end toward andfrom the plane of the base plate, an eccentric sheet engaging devicecarried by the free end of said spring arm, and rotatably supportedthereon, means for securing said eccentric device in adjusted position,an adjusting device for adjusting the free end of said spring arm andsaid sheet engaging device toward and from the plane of the base plate,and operating devices actuating said registering arm, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN O. I-IANKINS.

Witnesses:

W. H. ADAMS, H. R. POLLARD, Jr.

